Chances are, you know who Jennifer Morrison is from seeing her in front of the camera from her memorable roles in “This Is Us,” “Once Upon a Time,” and “House”—but it’s her work behind the camera that this multi-hyphenate is particularly excited about of late. (She’s pretty humble about it, but she’s directed episodes of HBO’s “Euphoria,” Peacock’s “Dr. Death” and has her own production company, Apartment 3C Productions.) This past July, she also got into the book club game with the launch of A3C Reads, a project done in partnership with the Young Lions of the New York Public Library. And, in between it all, she still has time to share a really solid skin-care favorites list—as well as the item she snagged after “This Is Us” wrapped.
You have been in front of and behind the camera. Do you prefer one over the other? Likewise, does one stress you out over the other?
“I love both for different reasons. I do love telling the whole story and building the world as a filmmaker. I also love that directing has given me a way to create while being myself. I spent so many non-stop years on sets as an actor, and as much as I felt so grateful to be doing what I love, I had very little time to be myself. I will always love the investigative process of finding and building the inner and outer life of a character followed by the thrill of letting go and allowing a character to move through me; however, right now, writing, directing, and producing is really lighting me up.”
What can fans expect from your book club, A3C Reads, this fall?
“We are about to launch the fourth Book of the Month for our book club, #A3CReads. Every month readers can look forward to daily quotes from the selected novels as well as my reviews and recorded interviews with the authors, chats with our guest editors, and video responses from our authors to the readers’ questions. Our hope is that we give readers enough of a visual experience of the novels that they can decide if the truly want to read the novels themselves. All of the #A3CReads content can be found on our Instagram @apartment3c and on our YouTube channel: Apartment 3C.”
Any favorite glam moments from the characters you’ve played?
“I know it sounds possibly boring, but the plaid Rails pajamas that I wore at the very end of ‘This Is Us’ when Kevin and Cassidy clarified that they were great friends were so cozy and perfect. That is the only outfit I have ever requested from a set.”
What are some of your must-have beauty items?
“I am still loving and devoted to Augustinus Bader The Cream ($280) and Dr. Barbara Sturm sunblock ($150). I am also loving the Eighth Day serum ($325) along with the whole skin care line from SYMBIOME. I love the face washes, the serum, and the lotion. I saw an immediate difference in my skin when I started using their products.”
Anything you do for self-care?
“I discovered that I have to keep an ongoing list of films and T.V. that I want to watch. That way, when I do have time to myself I have an easy list to select from. I also LOVE to read. Setting aside time to read for pleasure really relaxes me and inspires me.”
You have been in the industry since you were a child. What advice would you give to your younger self?
“I think I would tell my younger self not to take anything personally. The industry is always changing and executives and creatives are always bouncing between different companies and jobs. Everyone is operating from a place of not knowing what tomorrow holds. It is easy to think that every decision that gets made about casting or hiring is personal, but really it isn’t. All we can do is strive to be our best, to be as prepared as possible, and to work toward growing in our crafts every day—we cannot assume that rejection means we did something wrong. There is a life force to every project and, as long as you are prepared and willing to grow, the right projects will find you.”
